Machine for drawing window glass



Dec. 26, 1939. D R ,MBERS 2,184,873

MACHINE FOR DRAWING WINDOW GLASS Filed April 16, 1956 n 5 sheets-sheet 1 N LD g1, 3 l\ @D m 'o I 0 l l is s i s s` s I o Il?. I 0 0" 'y' o O cu o .7(0

W 3: n l' u //n 01| Ul lis` 4 INI/ENTOR. DoN ELI/weeks BYS- v/ TTORNEYS.

Dec. 26,11939. D. R. LIMBERS MACHINE FOR DRAWING WINDOW GLASS 5 Sheets-#Sheet 2 Filed April 16, 1936 INVENTOR.

TTORNEYS.

Hyg/(M6471 -r @ab J D. R. LIMBERS 2,184,873

MACHINEl FOR DRAWING WINDOW GLASS Dec.' 26, 1939.

Filed April 16, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 fag. .3Q

INI/EN TOR. DON l?. V35-R6 MACHINE FOR DRAWING WINDOW GLASS A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 26, 1939. D. R. LIMBERS 2,184,873

MACHINE FOR DRAWINGWINDOW GLASS Filed April 16. i936 5 Sheets-Sheetl 5 A ToRNEYS.

Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED ySTATES ATENT ortica MACHINE Fon DRAWING WINDOW GLASS Application April 16, 1936, Serial No. 74,677

7 Claims.

The invention relates to a machine for making window glass, and is designed for use in connection with a leer of the Fourcault or Slinglu type, in which a glass sheet is drawn upward continuously from a body of molten glass passing through the leer and being cut into sections thereabove. In such an operation, the surface ofthe glass sheet is marked due to its passage through the drawing rolls which are of asbestos composition and leave marks on the glass incident to the crumbling of the asbestos composition. One of the objects of the invention is to provide improved means in the leer casing above the drawing rolls to remove the roll marks. A further object is the provision of improved means of the character specified which will prevent splinters of glass which are incident to the cutting operation or small pieces of glass due to breakage from working their way downward between the drawing rolls and the glass sheet and producing scratches and causing breakage. A still further object is the provision of improved means of the character specied which will assist in the drawing operation and which will in- 5 volve no hazard to the workmen above the leer during the performance of their duties of cutting the glass into sections and removing broken pieces of glass which are carried through the leer. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion of a leer casing embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1. And Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line V-V of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 6, 6 are the side members of the leer frame, in which is mounted a series of pairs of rolls 'I, 8 for drawing the glass sheet 9 upward from a body of molten glass. These sets of rolls are arranged in series throughout the length of the leer and are of similar construction comprising metal tubes IEB (Fig. 4) on which are mounted coverings I I of asbestos composition, such composition being relatively hard and dense as is well known in the art. The rolls 'I, l, etc. lying on one side of the glass sheet are mounted in fixed bearings, while the rolls 8, 8, etc. on the other side of the glass sheet are mounted for movement on hangers I2, I2, etc., and are yieldingly pressed toward the opposing rolls by means of the counterweighted levers I3, I3, etc., this also being a construction well known in the art. The rolls are driven at their left 55; hand ends (Fig. 1r) from a motor I4 mounted upon the bracket I5 secured to the frame and having a sectional vertical drive shaft I6 which extends the length of the leer. This shaft carries a series of bevel gears Il meshing with the bevel gears I8 and driving the rolls through the intermediary of the gears IBG, and the chains I9. The gears i8 and Ia are keyed on a short countershaft, and the gear I8a meshes with a gear i811y on the end of the shaft of the roll 8. The roll which opposes the roll 8 on the other side of the glass sheet is driven by the chain ISI which passes around a sprocket keyed on the countershaft and around a sprocket attached to the end of the shaft of the roll which opposes the roll 3.

Located above the top pair of leer rolls is a pair of builing rolls 2l] and 2l. These rolls comprise tubular shafts covered with suitable buing material, such as cloth or wool. In normal operation, they are driven in the same direction as they leer rolls, but at a much higher speed and they function to clean the glass surfaces from any marks incident tothe passage of the glass sheet through the leer rolls. They also prevent any small splinters of glass from working down along the sides of the sheet into the spaces between the faces of the sheet and the leer rolls, Such particles of glass tending to scratchthe sheet and cause breakage. Since the rolls engage the glass with considerable pressure, they also function to assist in drawing the sheet, and as later described, are arranged to be driven at times at the same peripheral speed as the leer rolls, thus serving as drawing rolls under such conditions. These rolls are mounted for movement toward and from each other on pairs of arms 22, 23, which are keyed to the transverse shafts 2li, 25 mounted in the leer frame. The shaft 25 has secured thereto a counterweighted arm 26 (Fig. 4) which tends to swing the roll 2l away from the glass sheet. In order to secure a similar movement in the roll 20 by the operation of the counterweight, the shafts 24 and 25 are provided with crank arms 2l and 28 coupled together by the threaded rod 29, so that when the shaft 25 is rotated in a clockwise direction by the counterweight, the shaft 24 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, thus moving the roll 2@ to the left, as the roll 2| moves to the right.

In order to hold the bufflng rolls in engagement with the glass sheet, the connecting rod 36 is employed secured at its lower end to the arm 26 and at its upper end to a plate or shoe 3i pivoted at 32 on the top of the leer frame. The left hand end of the shoe has pivoted thereto a lug 33, which carries the latch 34, whose lower end is toothed, as indicated at 35, and is pulled into engagement with a detent 35 by means of a spring 3l. The latch 35 thus maintains the parts in the position shown until released by movement to the left (Fig. 4), which permits the counterweighted arm to move down. The latch 34 is adapted to be released by means of the arm 38 also pivoted at 32 and provided with a handle which is adapted to be moved by the foot of the operator who works upon a floor located substantially at this level. In order to adjust the pressure of the bufling rolls upon the glass sheet and to adapt them to sheets of difierent thickness, the rod 35 is provided with an adjusting nut 45, the parts being locked in adjusted position by means of the nut 4|.

The buiiing rolls are driven independently of the operation of the leer rolls by means of a motor 52 (Fig. l) carried upon a bracket 43 projecting from the side of the leer frame. This motor operates through reduction gearing in the casing i5 to drive a gear 45 (Fig. 2) meshing with a gear 55 mounted on the sleeve 4l' (Fig. 5). This sleeve is journalled on the end of a short shaft section 55 which constitutes a continuation of the hollow shaft 25. The gear i6 meshes with a spur gear 55 carried by the shaft section 55 (Fig. 5) which constitutes an extension of the hollow shaft of the roll 2|. The hollow shaft 24 also has at its end a sleeve similar to the sleeve di, on which is mounted the gear 55a (Fig. 3) meshing with the gear l5 and having driving engagement with the gear 5| Carried at the end of the shaft of the roll 25.

Provision is also made for driving the buffer rolls from the leer roll drive when the motor 52 is not operating. Such drive comprises a chain sprocket 52 on the end of the shaft of the roll and a similar` sprocket 53 mounted on the shaft 55 which carries the gear 45, the chain 55 passing around such sprockets. The chain sprockets 52 and 53 are provided with runover clutches 55 and 5l, as indicated in Fig. 3, which permit the motor 42 to operate without any tendency to drive the shaft of the roll, and also permits the drive of the sprocket 53 from the shaft of the roll 'l without any tendency to drive the motor 52 through the reduction gearing in the casing M. It is thus possible to drive the buffer rolls 25 and 2| at a high speed from the motor i2 or under certain conditions, to drive such rolls at the same peripheral speed as the leer rolls 8 when current is cut off from the motor 42.

Mounted above the buffer rolls 2li and 2| is a pair of rolls 55 and 59 (Fig. 4) similar in construction to the buffer rolls, but smaller in diameter. These rolls are normally driven at the same peripheral speed as the leer rolls 8, and since they are pressed against the glass sheet, assist in drawing it upwards. They also act as steady means to prevent vibration of the sheet during the cutting operation, which occurs immediately above these rolls. Their primary function, however, is to add to the safety of the apparatus and they are, therefore, commonly referred to as guard rolls or safety rolls. They act as a shield and intercept any small chips or pieces of broken glass which may be thrown upward by the high speed buffer rolls 25 and 2| during the bufling operation. Without this protection, the workmen operating above the leer and engaged in cutting off the glass sheets and removing them might be injured by the ying pieces of glass. These rolls perform the still further function of intercepting the downward movement of small pieces of glass and chips incident to the cutting operation, thus supplementing the similar function performed by the bul-ling rolls as heretofore commented upon. These rolls are mounted upon hangers in the form of pairs of arms 6D and 6| carried upon and keyed to the hollow shafts 62 and G3. The hubs of the hangers are provided with segmental gears 64 and 65 (Figs. 1 and 4) meshing together, so that when the shaft 63 is rotated, in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 4) to swing the roll 58 away from the glass, a similar movement is given to the roll 59, thus removing both rolls from contact with the glass. The hub of the hanger 6| has integral therewith an operating lever 55 (Fig. 4) normally pressed upward by a spring 5l in the casing 68, so that normally the rolls 58 and 55 are caused to engage the glass sheet yieldingly. The end of the lever is provided with a latch 59 having a handle 59a and adapted to engage beneath the abutment I0 when the lever 56 is pushed downward, the movement of the latch to engaging position being occasioned by the spring This arrangement makes possible the operation of the lever and the latch by the foot of the workman on the floor, which is at about the level of the top of the leer.

The rolls are moved to open position when it becomes necessary to remove sections of the glass sheet which may have become broken before emerging from the leer. driven from the drive of the leer by means of a chain l2 passing around sprockets 'i3 and 'M (Fig. 5). The sprocket i3 is carried by a stub shaft l5, which also has keyed to it a gear I6 t and this gear l5 meshes with a gear '|'|a carried upon the shaft of the roll 'l which also carries the sprocket 52 (Fig. 5). The sprocket 'i4 is keyed to a sleeve 'il mounted for rotation on the end of the hollow shaft 62. The sleeve has keyed thereto a pinion 'i8 meshing with a pinion l5 carried by the shaft of the roll 58. The shaft of the other roll 59 is provided with a gear 80 meshing with a pinion 8| on a sleeve at the end of the sha-ft 53 corresponding to the sleeve and such gear meshes with the gear 78, thus providing for a similar drive for the safety rolls 58 and 59. It will be observed that the control mechanism governing the movement of the rolls 20 and 2|, and 55 and 59 is located below the level of the rolls 58 and 59, in such position that they are operable by th-e feet of the workmen engaged in cutting off and removing the glass sheets at the upper end of the leer, the plate 3| with its latch 39 and the lever 66 and its latch G9 being operable in this way.

In'the normal operation of the machine, the two sets of rolls 25 and 2|, and 5S and 59 yieldingly engage the glass sheet with the bufling rolls 2|) and 2| operating at a high rate of speed in order to clean the glass properly, and the rolls 58 and 55 operating at a low speed. In case any breakage occurs longitudinally of the sheet calling for the removal of sections of glass separate from the main body thereof, the separation of the rolls often becomes desirable and this may be easily and quickly accomplished by the control means above described. At other times, it may be desirable to use the buiiing rolls merely as supplemental drawing means, and in this case, the operation of the motor 52 is discontinued and the drive of the rolls is taken up through the sprocket chain 55 and the gearing with which it cooperates as heretofore described.

What I claim is:

l. In combination with a vertical leer casing The safety rolls are -2 provided with a plurality of pairs of driven rolls for drawing a glass sheet continuously upward therethrough, a pair of bufng rolls oi yielding material at the upper end of the casing, means for driving the buffing rolls in the same direction as the drawing rolls and at a substantially higher speed to secure a buing action on the surface of the sheet as it passes the buing rolls, a pair of guard rolls of yielding material above the bu'ing rolls adapted to engage the opposite faces ci' the glass sheet, and means to rotate the guard rolls in the same direction as the buiting rolls but at a lower speed than the bufng rolls.

2. In combination with a vertical leer casing provided with a plurality of pairs of driven rolls for drawing a glass sheet continuously upward therethrough, a pair of buffing rolls of yielding material at the upper end of the casing, means for -driving the bung rolls in the same direction as the drawing rolls and at a substantially higher speed to secure a bung action on the surface of the sheet as it passes the builing rolls, a pair or guard rolls of yielding material above the buing rolls and adapted to engage the opposite faces of the glass sheet, and means for drawing the guard rolls in the same direction and at substantially the same speed as the drawing rolls.

3. In combination with a vertical leer casing provided with a plurality of pairs of driven rolls for drawing a glass sheet continuously upward therethrough, a pair of buing rolls 01 yielding material at the upper end of the casing, means for driving the buii'ing rolls in the same direction as the drawing rolls, and at a substantially higher speed to secure a bufng action on the surface of the sheet as it passes the bufng rolls, and guard means of yielding material located above the buing means adapted to engage the opposite faces of the glass sheet.

4. In combination with a vertical leer casing provided with a plurality of pairs of driven rolls for drawing a glass sheet continuously upward therethrough, a pair of buing rolls of yielding material at the upper end of the casing mounted for movement toward and from'V each other, means for adjusting the buffing rolls toward each other to regulate their pressure on the glass sheet, readily releasable means for holding the the latch is released.

builing rolls in their positions of adjustment, and

self acting means for moving the buing rolls apart when said last means are released.

5. In combination with a vertical leer casing provided with a plurality of pairs of driven rolls for drawing a glass sheet continuously upward therethrough, a pair of buing rolls of yielding material at the upper endof the casing mounted for movement toward and from each other, means for adjusting the hurling rolls toward each other to regulate their pressure on the 'glass sheet, latching means in position to be operated by the root of the operator working above the leer casing for holdingthe buiing rolls in their positions of adjustment, and self acting means for moving said bulng rolls apart when the latching means are released.

6. In combination with a vertical leer casing provided with aplurality of pairs of driven rolls ior drawing a glass sheet continuously upward therethrough, a pair of bung rolls of yielding material at the upper end of the casing, means for driving the rolls in the same Adirection as the drawing rolls and at a substantially higher speed y to secure a buiring action on the surface of the sheet as it passes the bulng rolls, a pair of guard rolls of yielding material above the bufiing rolls mounted for movement toward and from each other, yielding means for moving the guard rolls toward each other to engage the glass sheet, and a latch for holding said last means against movement.

'1. ln combination with a vertical leer casing provided with a plurality of pairs of driven rolls for drawing a glass sheet continuously upward therethrough, a pair of bumng rolls of yielding material at the upper end of the casing mounted for movement toward andfrom each other, adjustable means in position to be operated by the foot of the operator working above the leer casing for moving the bufng rolls toward each other into engagement with the glass sheet, a latch also in position to be operated by the foot of the operator for holding the bufng rolls in engagement with theglass sheet, and self-acting means for moving the bufng rolls apart when DON R. LIMBERS. 

